Architecture and Engineering
Electrical Engineers
Research, design, develop, test, or supervise the manufacturing and installation of electrical equipment, components, or systems for commercial, industrial, military, or scientific use.
MAY 2025 · OCCUPATIONAL WAGES
A wage reference for United States.
Published wage percentiles describe a distribution within the source occupation group. They provide context for a career decision; employer packages and job offers have their own terms.
Source wage group: Electrical Engineers
This wage group may include multiple detailed occupations. The figures are for the source group, which may be broader than Electrical Engineers. They are not an exact-title, employer, experience or seniority match.
May 2025 · USD · United States. Annual and hourly figures are shown only when the source publishes them; neither is calculated from the other.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics occupational wage data, distributed through the O*NET® OnLine service.
Median annual wage$120,630USD per year · Published 50th percentile
Median hourly wage$58.00USD per hour · Published 50th percentile
Annual wage thresholds
USD per year
Hourly wage thresholds
USD per hour
| Percentile | Annual wage (USD/year) | Hourly wage (USD/hour) |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $76,550 | $36.80 |
| 25th | $92,830 | $44.63 |
| 50th · Median | $120,630 | $58.00 |
| 75th | $152,950 | $73.53 |
| 90th | $184,300 | $88.61 |
“≥” means at least the published amount; “≤” means at most that amount. These are bounds, not exact values. “Not published” means the source did not provide that figure. Occupational wages follow the source definition and do not establish an employer’s base salary, equity or total compensation.
PUT A WAGE IN CONTEXT
Where does your number sit?
Compare an entered wage with the published thresholds for United States. Your entry stays on this page.
This compares wage amounts to published percentile thresholds. It does not estimate your personal percentile, adjust for your experience, or compare total compensation. Match the wage definition and occupation group before using the result.
THE WORK BEHIND THE TITLE
What this career involves.
Occupation definitions describe common work. Responsibilities and requirements vary by employer and specific job.
Selected title examples
Automation EngineerCable EngineerCircuits EngineerControls EngineerDesign EngineerDesign Verification EngineerDistribution EngineerDistribution Field EngineerDistrict Plant EngineerDivision EngineerDivision Plant EngineerElectrical Controls Engineer
Expand more title examples (48)
Electrical Design EngineerElectrical DesignerElectrical EngineerElectrical Engineering InternElectrical IntegratorElectrical Power EngineerElectrical Products EngineerElectrical Project EngineerElectrical Prospecting EngineerElectrical Research EngineerElectrical Systems EngineerElectrical Test EngineerElectrolysis and Corrosion Control EngineerElectrolysis EngineerElectrolysis InvestigatorEngineerField EngineerGeothermal Electrical EngineerHydroelectric Plant Electrical EngineerIlluminating EngineerInduction Coordination EngineerInduction Coordination Power EngineerInstrumentation and Electrical Reliability Engineer (I&E Reliability Engineer)Instrumentation EngineerLaser EngineerLighting EngineerLine Construction EngineerMeter EngineerOutside Plant EngineerPhotovoltaic Power Systems Engineer (PV Power Systems Engineer)Photovoltaic Solar Cell Designer (PV Solar Cell Designer)Plant EngineerPower Distribution EngineerPower Generation EngineerPower Systems Electrical EngineerPower Systems EngineerPower Transmission EngineerProject EngineerProtection EngineerRadio Frequency Engineer (RF Engineer)Results EngineerRural Electrification EngineerSCADA Engineer (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition Engineer)Service EngineerSmart Grid EngineerSubstation Electrical EngineerSubstation EngineerSystems Development Engineer
Typical tasks
- Design, implement, maintain, or improve electrical instruments, equipment, facilities, components, products, or systems for commercial, industrial, or domestic purposes.
- Oversee project production efforts to assure projects are completed on time and within budget.
- Direct or coordinate manufacturing, construction, installation, maintenance, support, documentation, or testing activities to ensure compliance with specifications, codes, or customer requirements.
- Perform detailed calculations to compute and establish manufacturing, construction, or installation standards or specifications.
- Operate computer-assisted engineering or design software or equipment to perform engineering tasks.
- Confer with engineers, customers, or others to discuss existing or potential engineering projects or products.
Expand more tasks (16)
- Investigate or test vendors' or competitors' products.
- Inspect completed installations and observe operations to ensure conformance to design and equipment specifications and compliance with operational, safety, or environmental standards.
- Investigate customer or public complaints to determine the nature and extent of problems.
- Prepare technical drawings, specifications of electrical systems, or topographical maps to ensure that installation and operations conform to standards and customer requirements.
- Compile data and write reports regarding existing or potential electrical engineering studies or projects.
- Prepare specifications for purchases of materials or equipment.
- Estimate labor, material, or construction costs for budget preparation purposes.
- Plan or implement research methodology or procedures to apply principles of electrical theory to engineering projects.
- Supervise or train project team members, as necessary.
- Assist in developing capital project programs for new equipment or major repairs.
- Collect data relating to commercial or residential development, population, or power system interconnection to determine operating efficiency of electrical systems.
- Develop systems that produce electricity with renewable energy sources, such as wind, solar, or biofuels.
- Develop software to control electrical systems.
- Integrate electrical systems with renewable energy systems to improve overall efficiency.
- Conduct field surveys or study maps, graphs, diagrams, or other data to identify and correct power system problems.
- Design electrical systems or components that minimize electric energy requirements, such as lighting systems designed to account for natural lighting.
Skills used in this work
- Writing
- Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
- Critical Thinking
- Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
- Reading Comprehension
- Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
- Active Learning
- Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
- Active Listening
- Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Complex Problem Solving
- Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Expand more skills (29)
- Speaking
- Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Monitoring
- Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
- Mathematics
- Using mathematics to solve problems.
- Coordination
- Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
- Systems Analysis
- Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
- Systems Evaluation
- Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.
- Operations Analysis
- Analyzing needs and product requirements to create a design.
- Instructing
- Teaching others how to do something.
- Learning Strategies
- Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
- Management of Personnel Resources
- Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.
- Quality Control Analysis
- Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
- Science
- Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.
- Social Perceptiveness
- Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
- Time Management
- Managing one's own time and the time of others.
- Operations Monitoring
- Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
- Persuasion
- Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
- Negotiation
- Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
- Service Orientation
- Actively looking for ways to help people.
- Troubleshooting
- Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.
- Management of Financial Resources
- Determining how money will be spent to get the work done, and accounting for these expenditures.
- Management of Material Resources
- Obtaining and seeing to the appropriate use of equipment, facilities, and materials needed to do certain work.
- Technology Design
- Generating or adapting equipment and technology to serve user needs.
- Equipment Selection
- Determining the kind of tools and equipment needed to do a job.
- Programming
- Writing computer programs for various purposes.
- Equipment Maintenance
- Performing routine maintenance on equipment and determining when and what kind of maintenance is needed.
- Repairing
- Repairing machines or systems using the needed tools.
- Operation and Control
- Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
- Installation
- Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or programs to meet specifications.
FIND YOUR MARKET
United States wage reference Explore wages by location.
0 retained state and local wage references are available. Start with these selected locations, or search the full market directory for this career.
Local wage references are not retained for this occupation. The national view and employer evidence may still help.
Browse all wage markets
Available links reflect retained source coverage for this career.
TURN CONTEXT INTO A NEXT STEP
Find the next step that fits.
Look at current disclosed job ranges, explore supported employer salary evidence, or build a proposed hiring range with your own assumptions.